Sip the world with these 4 cocktails

Like everyone else who works at Boundless Journeys, I love trying the world’s cuisine, which includes the world’s beverages. From a guided winetasting at a family-owned winery to a sipping a local brew at a mountain hut in the Alps, here are four cocktails from my last few scouting trips that you can make yourself, and they are all easy to play around with to suit your individual taste.

Enjoy traveling the world through your tastebuds as you sip (and sit) at home!
¡Salud! Cincin! Cheers! 

Sangria from Spain: The ancient Greeks and Romans were the first to mix wine with sugar and spices. The Romans brought viticulture to the Iberian peninsula, and now sangria and Spain are forever intertwined. It’s hard to say what a “traditional recipe” is, but this is typically what you’ll find. Once you’re returned from your Spain adventure tour, six together in a big pitcher, let chill in the fridge for an hour, then pour over ice:

• 1-2 bottles of red wine
• 1-2 sliced oranges
• 1 sliced lemon
• 1-2 sliced apples
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 Tablespoons of sugar
• Brandy, a lot or a little—whatever you’d like

Pisco Sour from Peru: Pisco is a strong brandy introduced to Peru by the Spanish, but the cocktail is credited to a Mr. Victor Vaughen Morris who created it in Lima in the early 1900s. Travelers on our Peru hiking tours learn more about this beverage and its cultural importance. The drink even has its own holiday that’s celebrated on the first Saturday in February. Shake everything together with ice for about 30 seconds, strain into a glass, and top with Angostura bitters.

• 1 large egg white
• 2 ounces Peruvian pisco
• 1 ounce lime juice
• ¾ ounce simple syrup

Aperol Spritz from Italy: When the Austro-Hungarian empire controlled the Veneto region, it was popular to add a splash of water (a spritzen in German) to the area’s wine, which foreigners felt was too strong. It didn’t take long after Aperol’s creation in 1919 for cocktail concoctions to come about, and by 1950, the company had it’s signature recipe, which many of our Italy walking tour guests sample while on their trip:

• 3 parts Prosecco
• 2 parts Aperol
• 1 part soda water
• Serve over ice with fresh citrus garnish

Pimm’s Cup from England: Funny enough, the liquor used in this drink was originally sold as a medicinal tonic in the mid-1800s, but people liked it so much, that they started drinking it recreationally. There are lots of variations out there using mint, cucumber, strawberries, or even a splash of ginger ale, but the traditional Pimm’s Cup Cocktail served at Wimbledon is super simple. Give it a try as you looked through pictures after returning from your England guided tour:

• 1 part Pimm’s No. 1
• 2 parts lemonade
• Serve over ice

Prefer something sans-alcohol? I recommend tea, which might just be the ultimate global drink. From Morocco’s sugary mint tea (which we enjoy in shaded courtyards on our Morocco tours) to Japan’s traditional tea ceremony, tea has crossed the world and been adopted by cultures near and far!